Francis Wallington

Francis Victor Wallington
Born (1891-10-16)16 October 1891
Died 1971
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  British Army
Years of service 1906–1923
1939
Rank Captain
Unit Royal Field Artillery
Battles/wars First World War
Awards Military Cross & Three Bars
Mentioned in Despatches

Francis Victor Wallington MC & Three Bars (16 October 1891 – 1971) was a decorated British Army officer. He was the first of four soldiers to be awarded the Military Cross four times, all in the First World War.[1][2]

Military career

Wallington was born in Woolwich. He joined the Royal Horse Artillery in 1906. He reached the rank of bombardier while serving with the 7th Brigade, RHA.[2]

Early in the First World War, Wallington served as a soldier in the Royal Artillery, British Army, and reached the rank of serjeant.[3] On 15 August 1914, he departed for France with the British Expeditionary Force.[2] On 30 May 1916, he was commissioned into the Royal Artillery as a second lieutenant 'for service in the field'.[3] On 2 October 1917, he was promoted to acting captain while he served as second-in-command of a battery of the Royal Field Artillery.[4] On 30 November 1917, he was promoted to lieutenant and retained the acting rank of captain.[5] He retired on 2 May 1923 and was granted the rank of captain.[6]

He married Gwendoline Constance Newton (1892–1936) in Lambeth in 1919. They lived in Abingdon, and had two sons Francis and Dennis, and a daughter Maureen.

He later rejoined the British Army. On 7 March 1939, he became a captain and admin officer in the Royal Engineers.[7] With the outbreak of the Second World War, he relinquished his appointment as an admin officer on 2 September 1939.[8] He relinquished his commission in the Territorial Army on 2 September 1939.[9]

He died in Richmond-upon-Thames in 1971.

Honours and decorations

For his service in the First World War, Wallington received the following campaign medals; the 1914 Star with clasp, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.[2] On 26 January 1917, he was Mentioned in Despatches.[2] He was awarded the Military Cross four times;[1] the first on 26 January 1917,[10] the second on 16 August 1917,[11] the third on 25 August 1917,[12] and the fourth on 16 September 1918.[13]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Humphrey Arthur GILKES". Christ Church College, Oxford. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Addington, Scott (2006). For conspicuous gallantry: winners of the Military Cross and bar during the Great War. Leicester: Matador. ISBN 9781905237432.
  3. 1 2 The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 29650. p. 6585. 30 June 1916. Retrieved 07 June 2014.
  4. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30398. p. 12309. 23 November 1917. Retrieved 07 June 2014.
  5. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30618. p. 4285. 5 April 1918. Retrieved 07 June 2014.
  6. The London Gazette: no. 32819. p. 3146. 1 May 1923. Retrieved 07 June 2014.
  7. The London Gazette: no. 34620. p. 2829. 28 April 1939. Retrieved 07 June 2014.
  8. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 34922. p. 5011. 13 August 1940. Retrieved 07 June 2014.
  9. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 34936. p. 5339. 30 August 1940. Retrieved 07 June 2014.
  10. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 29921. pp. 1016–1020. 26 January 1917. Retrieved 07 June 2014.
  11. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30234. pp. 8354–8356. 14 August 1917. Retrieved 07 June 2014.
  12. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30251. pp. 8801–8804. 24 August 1917. Retrieved 07 June 2014.
  13. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30901. pp. 10853–10877. 13 September 1918. Retrieved 07 June 2014.
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